[Elecraft] HF Verticals?

Thu Oct 17 09:18:01 2002

Mike,
When this antenna arrives, and you've had some operating time on it, how 
'bout a report to the group? 

I too have been looking a verticals -- and have observed the same thing: 
1/2 love them, the rest hate them!  It doesn't matter if it's a Gap, 
Butternut, Hustler, Cushcraft, .... Then some fixate on their "low SWR" 
which probably means "high loss"...  The amount of misunderstandings 
concerning verticals is simply overwhelming.  Then, just start a 
conversation about radials:  how many, buried?  elevated?  bare wire? 
insulated?  it goes on and on!  Objective, controlled experiments are 
simply hard to find.

Then comes Force 12.  No nonsense, clearly center fed vertical, doesn't 
seem to rely on some "magic" (or marketing BS?) to work in contradiction 
to the laws of nature.  But I haven't read many reports on the Sigmas or 
comparisons to say, a dipole at 30' (a common, practical antenna 
installation).

So, let us know?

73,
Steve
aa8af

"Mike McCoy" <[email protected]>
Sent by: [email protected]
10/14/2002 08:01 PM

        To:     "Elecraft" <[email protected]>
        cc: 
        Subject:        Re: [Elecraft] Re: [Icom] Opinions re: HF Verticals?

Well I broke down and ordered a Force 12 Sigma GT5 (no-trap/no radial
vertical dipole) today.

Since I have no horizontal space for a dipole I've been investigating
verticals for a while. The thing that has put me off (aside from the need 
to
plant radials) is that for virtually every vertical manufacturer it seems
1/2 of owners love em and the other 1/2 can't get rid of them fast enough.

Except for Force 12... I haven't heard one person say anything (really)
negative about Force 12 antennas. And apparently they can't keep the Sigma 
5
in stock (backordered 3-4 weeks).

And here's a very interesting new antenna from Force 12 just now 
available,
a 16' 40-10 vertical dipole:

 http://force12inc.com/sigma40XKinfo-001.htm

Not bad for $249...

Mike - AD5IU